I. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of treating ice covered roads during winter to produce improved traction and in particular the field of using calcium chloride coated sand to improve road surface traction when covered with ice.
II. Prior Art Statement
A number of methods are known for the coating of sand particles with various materials. U.S. Pat. No. 2,806,254 discloses a method for independently covering particles with a composition. U.S. Pat. No. 1,792,058 discloses a method of making colored granules by treatment with water or a coloring agent. Other U.S. patents the inventor has studied are: U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,053,545; 4,060,439; 3,983,294; 3,989,275; and 3,989,870. The inventor knows of no method presently published or patented that uses the method of the present invention to coat sand granules with calcium chloride and store them in an outdoor environment in a manner that would keep them suitable for application on icy highways over a long period of time. Further, the inventor knows of no fully portable device for coating sand with calcium chloride in an in situ manner.